


Love You Like I Used To

by Bubblelina15



Series: The Edge of Glory [2]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblelina15/pseuds/Bubblelina15
Summary: Sequel to the Edge of Glory.  Set two years later, Ricky and Nini have graduated and are now into their professional lives.  When the two are apart for longer than they have had to in awhile, they begin to reminisce their relationship.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts
Series: The Edge of Glory [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712509
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	1. something's changed

**Author's Note:**

> I am so utterly proud of this series, and I hope you all enjoy the second installment!

_ i. Girl, I have always loved you _

_ Oh but something's changed _

_ Blame it on time, the road or the ride _

_ But it ain't the same _

**Him:**

Ricky rolled over, trying to get more comfortable. He couldn’t sleep. It was a rare occurence to not have Nini by his side. He missed her so damn much. He had gotten used to waking up with their limbs tangled, her head on his chest, and hand pressed against his heart.

Sometimes Ricky let his mind wander to the magic of that first night. The way Nini came into his life, with her red dress and her soft, teasing smile. Ricky had felt  _ home  _ and he wasn’t going to let that feeling go, ever.

After their first date on the roof, the two had become inseparable. And once they graduated the following spring, the two had moved in together, in a small apartment in New York. Nini was an intern for a growing record label, hoping to gain more experience. And Ricky, with urging from Nini, decided to pursue his own music. He had majored in business, and the two hoped to use their combined knowledge and talents to open their own music label one day.

Ricky was in SLC for a couple of weeks to visit his dad. Nini had come for an amazing first couple nights, but had to leave Ricky earlier to go back to work.

“ _ I’ll miss you _ ,” Nini had said, her head tucked under his chin as they hugged goodbye. Ricky kissed her on the forehead and mouth, knowing she would always have a part of him while she was gone.

Ricky groaned and rubbed his eyes, giving up his attempt to fall back asleep. He grabbed his phone next to him on the table, and glanced at it to look at the time. 

_ 11:30 p.m. _

Damn, Nini was definitely asleep. They were two hours ahead on the east coast. She had work in the morning and he’d feel guilty waking her up. Ricky smiled at his lockscreen, despite not being able to call his girlfriend. The photo of him and Nini aided in some comfort. He was mid-laugh, eyes squinted shut, while Nini’s lips were pressed against his cheek, her hand cupped around his face. He put his phone back facedown on the bedside table and shifted on his backside, closing his eyes.

He let his mind wander, filled with thoughts of his girl back home.

**Her:**

Nini pulled her headphones out of her ears, and laid face down on the table. She hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night, not without Ricky, and the demo she was listening to was making it worse.

She had been working unbelievably hard, trying to get in her boss’ good graces, and her efforts had been rewarded. Out of all the interns, her boss had given her the task to help her filter through some aspiring artists’ demos.

“You have something in you, Roberts,” her boss, Miss Jenn had said to her when she had given her the responsibility.

Nini had hoped maybe one day that her own demo would be selected by a future intern for Miss Jenn’s review. Well, only if Ricky and Nini’s own label never came to be. Which was unlikely, those two were determined and were invincible with each other by their side.

The demo she was listening to now was a girl singing about her relationship over and over in every song and it made Nini’s heart ache.  _ God _ , she missed Ricky.

Her phone buzzed in her blazer pocket.

She pulled it out to read the message under the table. It was Ricky.

_ thinking of you _ .

Nini smiled, and she could picture him now. He was probably frequenting his and Red’s well-loved skate park from their childhood, curls tousled from skating and haphazardly falling into his face. His brow was probably furrowed in concentration, his mouth in his half-smile she loved, as he had sent the message.

_ i miss you,  _ she typed back, slipping her phone back into her pocket. She could not wait till he came back home tomorrow.

Nini sighed and put her headphones back into her ears, clicking to the next song.

As the next lyrics started, Nini sighed as images of her and Ricky flashed through her mind.


	2. how your hand in mine fits

_**ii.** It's a different kind of feeling _

_ Not the one I knew _

_ From the sweet on your lips _

_ To how your hand in mine fits _

**Him:**

Ricky could remember the exact moment he knew that everything had shifted.

They were two young adults in like, in lust, infatuated with one another. He had known Nini would be important to him the very moment she said “hi,” to him in that red dress. Despite his erratic heartbeat in the moment, there was a part of him that stilled, a part of him that knew she was what he had been looking for all along.

There was an ease around her he had never felt around anyone else, and never would find in the same way. Once they had got through the honeymoon phase, and real life had hit, Ricky kept waiting for the sky to crumble, but it never did.

When he felt like his world was about to crack at the seams, she was always there to put back the pieces, with a soft smile and a hand to hold.

“Baby.”

Ricky turned at the sound of Nini’s voice, trying to supply a smile that wouldn’t come.

They weren’t moving, but Ricky still had both hands plastered on the steering wheel, his fingers tense and leaving small dents in the leather fabric. They were parked in his mom’s driveway, and Ricky was taking shallow breaths, unsure of what was to come next.

“Baby,” Nini repeated. She gently laid her palm over the top of his closest hand, intertwining their fingers to move his hand off the steering wheel and into her lap. She used her other hand to cup his face and turn it towards her.

Ricky leaned into her touch, his other hand finally loosening its grip on the wheel to come and keep her hand against his cheek.

“ _ I don’t want to see her. _ ” Ricky mumbled into her palm, kissing it.

Ricky and his mom now had a tense relationship. After his parents had gotten divorced, his dad had gotten full custody of Ricky.

Despite Ricky and his mom being close as he was growing up, she had grown distant and started her own family. But, once he had begun college and heard he pursued business, she was unbelievably excited, planning how her son could work with her at her company.

Tonight was the night. Ricky was going to finally tell his mom that he didn't want the job, a fact he had been dancing around with his mom for over three years of school.

Nini stroked his hair back with the hand on his cheek and shifted their hands to join the conjoined ones on her lap.

"It's going to be hard. But, I'm here with you.  _ Always _ ."

And that was when he knew. Nini was his home.

**Her:**

Despite being the less emotionally volatile of the two, at least publicly, Nini was a perfectionist. And that trait typically caused her great anxiety and worry over the smallest little things.

“I come bearing gifts!” Ricky burst into Nini’s room. Kourtney must have let him into their dorm, knowing Nini was too much in the zone to check her phone or hear the knocks on their door.

Nini was working on a midterm for her music production class and had been holed up in her room for days, trying to perfect the song she needed to present by the end of the week. If she was being honest, she had finished it weeks ago. But as the due date came closer, she had begun over-analyzing every note, instrument, and lyric to great detail.

At her boyfriend’s appearance, Nini shifted her computer and notebook to the side of her desk and clambered on her bed. Ricky made her way over to meet her in the middle, laying a bag in front of her.

“Ooh kisses! I love kisses!” She pulled out a bag of Hershey’s kisses, and looked up to smile at her boyfriend who was still standing in front of the bed.

Ricky smirked. “Oh, you do, do you?”

“I do.” Nini reached up and crumpled his sweatshirt fabric in her fingers, tugging to pull him closer.

He complied, leaning forward to give her a kiss on the mouth, her cheeks, her forehead, and the tip of her nose. “There’s your kisses.”

“I appreciate it,” Nini laughed, ripping open the package and popping one in her mouth and passing one off to Ricky. “Now come here, I need a cuddle break.”

Ricky slid off his shoes and clambered next to Nini on the bed, and she curled into his side immediately, laying her head on his chest.

“So, how’s the song going?” Nini could feel how his voice made his chest vibrate, and it was so comforting to her. She closed her eyes.

“It’s getting there. I just want to rewrite one verse. This is an old song of mine I chose to produce for the class, but I was in a different mindset when I wrote it before.”

“What’s changed?”

Nini turned to look at him then, sliding the arm hugging his waist further out, to intertwine her fingers with his.

“You.”

Ricky crashed his lips onto hers, and she smiled against the kiss. Sweet like chocolate, and just sweet like Ricky.

Finally she had found the calm in her storm.


	3. fallin' all in

_ iii.  ...oh, we thought we knew what it meant way back then _

_ Why would I keep fallin' all-in higher than I've ever been? _

**Him:**

Ricky couldn’t pinpoint the moment he fell in love with Nini, but he remembered the moment he realized. It was a thought so fleeting, he had almost missed it. He had loved her for so long, it was as easy and indistinct as breathing.

They had just gotten back from celebrating their six month anniversary. Ricky was lounging on Nini’s bed, while she was wiping her makeup off. She had changed into her pajamas, and the two were planning to spend the rest of their night in, cuddling and watching movies.

She was humming a tune to herself, flitting around the room.

“What are you singing?” Ricky asked, adjusting so he could keep his girlfriend in his sight line.

“Just a song I finished earlier today,” Nini answered, crawling into her bed next to her boyfriend.

“Hmm, it’s pretty,” Ricky said, absentmindedly, pocketing the sweet melody in his head.

He shifted onto his side to look at her.

Her skin was glowing and pink from being freshly washed, and her hair splayed onto the pillow as she turned to look at him.

She grinned and Ricky felt all the air rush out of him, breathless. He loved this girl.

“What are you staring at?”

“You,” he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You’re so beautiful.”

Nini’s laugh tinkled throughout the room, and it was like music to his ears.

“I’m beautiful now? I just took all my makeup off.”

“You’re always beautiful. But, you’re perfect like this.” Ricky meant it. He wanted to lay next to her every night, and wake up to her like this every day.

“And, you’re stupid,” Nini teased, leaning forward to brush her nose against his.

Ricky closed his eyes at the contact, letting his mouth press to hers  _ once, twice _ .

She pulled away to look at him, hand still caressing his cheek.

“I love you,” Ricky rushed out in one breath. He couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Nini’s hand stilled on his cheek, and Ricky couldn’t read the expression on her face. But, then her eyes twinkled, sparkling at him. “I love you, too.” 

She slid her hand back up and into his curls, and sealed their declarations with another kiss.

Oh, how did he get so lucky?

**Her:**

Nini, despite having a habit of keeping her walls up due to her anxiety, she knew she was in love with Ricky way before he realized that one night in her room.

It was early enough in their relationship that Nini didn’t want to tell Ricky, but she was content in keeping it to herself.

Ricky had never said anything to her, but she knew he loved her too. She could feel Ricky loved her from the way he looked at her, touched her, smiled at her. And she knew he would tell her as soon as  _ he  _ realized.

They had been together for three months, and one night they were lounging in Ricky’s room watching movies for a few hours.

The credits of the last one were now rolling, and Ricky turned on his side to look at Nini who was leaned up against the futon cushions.

She turned her head, “What’s up, bub?”

“I’m bored.”

Nini laughed, “So what, I’m not enough for you?”

Ricky smiled, playing with her hand that lay between them. “You’re more than enough, baby. But, let’s go do something.”

She leaned in to kiss him on the top of his head, “I better be enough. What did you wanna do?”

“Let’s go on a drive!” He quickly stood up, pulling Nini up with him. He tossed Nini his sweatshirt from beside him which she willingly put on.

She loved wearing his clothes. It always felt like he was surrounding her, even in those moments he wasn’t around. 

Nini let him pull her out the door and followed him into his car. And they were off.

Ricky had let the windows down, and he was singing at the top of his lungs to the radio. Nini had been singing along with him, but had stopped, wanting to listen to her boyfriend sing. He had a beautiful voice, and she loved to hear how he effortlessly sang every note and the broad smile he always got when he sang.

When they had first started dating, and he had sung for her for the first time, she had been unbelievably shocked that he wasn’t a music major with her.

“It’s not what my mother wanted.” He shrugged it off.

“But, it’s what you love, and it loves you.  _ My God _ , Ricky, you’re so talented.” Nini was heartbroken that he felt that he couldn’t feel like he could follow his dreams.

Slowly, but surely, once they had begun dating, Nini had broken those reservations down, and he had found his voice again. He was writing music around the clock, and it seemed that he always had a new song to sing to her. She was so happy she could help him find that love again.

She listened to him now, thoughtful. His curls rustled in the wind, his grin wide, and voice perfect. Nini loved him. She loved him so much. She knew from watching him do what he loved. She knew from the swell in her chest, and the smile that failed to leave her face.

Ricky had noticed his girlfriend had stopped singing beside him, and saw her angled in her chair smiling at him. He slid one arm over the console to grab her hand and intertwine their fingers.

This was her happy place.


	4. every time you kiss me like this

_ iv. Oh no, I don't love you like I used to _

_ This gets better every time you kiss me like this _

_...it's stronger the longer I'm with you, yeah _

**Him:**

The two had recently graduated and moved to New York and in the chaos of them starting their new independent lives, and Nini starting her new internship, the two hadn’t been able to have a ton of time for themselves.

“Baby…” Nini called. She had just gotten home from work.

“I’m in here,” Ricky called. He was in their bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. He had been playing the guitar for the past couple of hours, trying to finesse a new melody for a song he was writing. His fingers were starting to get sore, but he was determined to figure it out.

“Hi.” Nini stood in the doorway, barefoot in her pencil skirt and camisole, blazer abandoned in the living room. She leaned in the doorframe, tired from the day, “What’s up?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out this new song, but I’m having a little bit of writer’s block.”

“Do you need a break?” Nini pulled her hair out of its bun, letting it fall around her shoulders. God, she looked beautiful.

“Honestly, probably. But, you know how I am.” Ricky shrugged.

“That I do,” Nini smirked. “Let me help you.”

She sauntered over him, pulling the guitar out of his hands, laying it in its case on the side of the bed.

Nini pushed Ricky back and straddled him, tangling their hands up and above their heads. She kissed him deeply, her hair falling around them.

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Ricky laughed, leaning up to capture her lips in another kiss.

He used his strength to flip them over, so he was on top, and he smiled at the gorgeous girl beneath him. Her hair was splayed on the sheets, and she was biting her lip, a playful look in her eye.

“Stop looking at me like that, and come here,” she wrapped her arms up and around his shoulders to pull all his weight back on top of her.

“But, I love looking at you,” he murmured, face now nestled into her ear.

“And I love everything about you.” Nini turned and cupped his face to look at him, fingers tangled in his hair behind his ears. “But, I love when you kiss me more.”

She pulled his face down to meet hers, and he returned the kiss eagerly.

“Ditto,” Ricky smiled into the kiss, images of a laughing and glowing Nini burned into the back of his eyelids.

**Her:**

Waking up next to Ricky always flooded Nini with a mix of emotions that would never get old. She always felt the swarm of butterflies in her belly she always had when Ricky was around, the kind that increased tenfold with the smallest of things she loved about him: the way his eyes crinkled when he teased her, his nose scrunched when he sang, his little half-smiles when he snuck glances at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, and the way his lashes fluttered against his cheek when she ran her fingers through his hair. Despite the neverending thrill that she got to have Ricky in so many ways, he also became a comfort. He was just a piece of her, an extension of her that made her feel like home whenever she returned to his side or into his arms.

Nini woke to Ricky’s hair tickling the back of her neck, arms wrapped around her waist, and legs tangled underneath the sheets.

She settled further back against him, snuggling into his warmth, and closed her eyes again. She could barely remember a time that his arms didn’t feel like home. He was her own personal security blanket.

But, Ricky wasn’t asleep like Nini thought. As soon as Nini burrowed back against him, he began kissing her neck and shoulder, causing her to giggle. “Ricky, I’m trying to go back to sleep.”

“And, I’m trying to kiss you,” he tangled their fingers loosely together and kissed behind her ear, causing her to shiver. She suddenly wasn’t sleepy anymore.

“Oh, fine,” she replied, rolling her eyes. Nini reached up behind her to run her hands through his hair and pull his mouth towards hers.

Ricky happily complied, that’s all he wanted after all. She turned in his arms for easier access, wrapping her arms up and around his neck, his arms still tightly holding her around the waist.

“I love you,” he mumbled against her lips.

“I love you.” She kissed him again, harder this time. Nini desperately wanted him to know how she felt, and the mere expanse of her feelings for him. She vowed to show him every day.


	5. love you like i used to

_ v. More than every single day before _

_ Didn't know I could ever love you more than I did _

_ But baby I do, I don't love you like I used to _

**Him:**

Don't get him wrong, Ricky was unbelievably grateful to have spent the past couple weeks with his dad. Once he had gone to college, his visits home only were so far and few in between, especially since he had moved in with Nini right after graduation. Every moment he could, he was with dad during his trip, but he couldn't help the part of him that was counting down till he reunited with Nini.

After a tearful goodbye with his dad, and a promise to visit soon, Ricky hopped on the plane, waiting for the moment he would land in NYC.

_ We have landed and are taxi-ing to the gate. Please remain seated till we come to a complete stop. _

The announcement woke Ricky up, and he adjusted himself in his seat, his heart picking up in his chest. It would only be a few short moments now.

He stepped into baggage claim, his bags gripped in his hands. Ricky craned his neck to see over the large crowd of people reuniting in the busy airport, trying to spot the familiar brunette of his girlfriend.

"Baby!"

He knew that voice anywhere.

Ricky turned, and before he could even register seeing her, Nini had gotten a running start into his arms.

He dropped his bags on her impact, his arms instinctively reaching out to grab her, while her legs wrapped around his waist.

He hadn't been able to take in how she looked, but he didn't need to. He knew she was as beautiful as she had always been. But, he could feel her wrapped all around him. Smell her, touch her. God, he missed her so much. 

Nini leaned back to look at him, her arms and legs still wrapped around his body. Ricky did the same, taking her in. Tendrils of hair had fallen out of her messy bun from running at him, and they were framing her face.

She grinned at him, breathless.

Nini pressed her lips against his for the first time in days, and Ricky almost sighed at the contact.

Nini unwrapped her legs from his waist, and slid down his body onto her tippy toes. She tangled her fingers through his hair to push him closer and deepen the kiss.

With one last kiss, brushing her nose against his, she settled onto her heels. "Don't you dare leave me again. I missed you too much." One of her hands was still cupped around his cheek, and he could feel the soft movements of her thumb against his skin.

"I missed you more. And  _ you _ better not leave me," he grinned, forehead pressed against hers.

"You've got me forever, Bowen."

"Forever," he echoed, swooping down to kiss her again.

And he meant it, in more ways than one. Little did Nini know, his promise was currently tucked away safely in his suitcase. He was just waiting for the right moment.

**Her:**

The past few days at work had passed slower than ever. But, the day had finally come and Nini was going to finally see Ricky.

She had woken up two hours before her alarm in excitement and anticipation, and decided to just go with it and headed to the airport early.

That may have been a bad idea, as finally being there made it seem so much harder to wait, just on the cusp of reuniting.

It was as if her mind could only replay images of Ricky, and images of her  _ with _ Ricky over and over the past week while he was gone. And with him so close to being back in her arms, the images came more incessantly, butterflies swarming her stomach.

A voice over the intercom announced the baggage claim for Ricky's flight.

_ Finally. _

Nini glanced around the airport, looking for her curly headed boyfriend. And then she spotted him, slightly towering over the rest of the crowd. Thank God he was so tall, or she never would've found him. 

"Baby!" she yelled, and before he even fully turned around, Nini jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

It felt so good to be in his arms again. This is what she had missed so much over the past few days. She didn't realize how hard it would be to be without it, without the warmth and support that came with his embrace.

Nini leaned back out of the hug to admire her boyfriend and take him in. It had been days since she had last seen him after all.

His curls were disheveled and messy, one lone curl falling into his forehead, probably from sleeping on the plane. His eyes twinkled at her and he had on the lopsided smile that she loved.

She pressed her lips against his, unable to wait any longer, and slid back down to the ground, deepening the kiss. Nini pulled away, lightly nuzzled her nose against his. "Don't you dare leave me again. I missed you too much." Her thumb ran over his cheek over and over, as if she couldn't believe that he was finally in front of her. Those few days alone had felt like weeks.

"I missed you more, and  _ you  _ better not leave me," Nini's grin widened as Ricky pressed his forehead to hers.

She closed her eyes, savoring his proximity, a wave of comfort washing over her. "You've got me forever, Bowen," Nini promised.

"Forever." Her heart swooped at the word, and Ricky pressed his lips to hers once more.

Nini smiled into the kiss.

_ I don't love you like I used to _

_ [I love you] more than every single day before. _


End file.
